Have you heard of Artfest? Yeah, neither had I until I read about it on Kelly Rae’s blog last summer the day that registration opened. And, as I also read, it pretty much fills up the day it opens. So I got it in my head that my friend Charlotte (the artist and my partner in crime) and I should go. And go we did. Over 600 people (mostly women) descend on an old military base in Port Townsend (this is where An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed). It’s a phenomenon. It’s an estrogen-fest. It’s all kinds of crazy AND the food is really good. Charlotte and I had a blast, in spite of the fact that in many ways we were completely out of our element.
We shared an old Officer’s House, full of character and perhaps the ghosts of a few children that had been locked in the attic (oh, c’mon, you read Flowers in the Attic,too!), with some wonderful housemates. We especially bonded with a group of three friends – Karen, Louise and Patty. Karen and Louise had come all the way from New Zealand for this (what did I say – a phenomenon!) and Patty came from the Napa Valley. I haven’t laughed as hard in a long, long time as I did hanging out with these women. I came close many times to living up to my Indian nickname, “Pees in Pants.” And you have to check out Louise’s blog-she makes the most beautifully stitched softies with an unbelievable attention to detail.
Day one I did a mandala workshop with Anahata Katkin (her mother named her after the chakra – there’s some good hippie roots). I am pretty much brand new to all this art/paint/collage stuff and Anahata’s method was perfect for an over thinker like me – she had us working so fast I didn’t have time to analyze every choice – I had to really just get into a flow state and trust my intuition. This was a great experience for me and a great lesson in silencing that inner critic, although he did come out for dinner with me later.
Day two was the workshop I was really looking forward to – much more in my comfort zone – Writing Crazy Love Poems with Susan Wooldridge. I had been using her book Poemcrazy for years and was looking forward to a live encounter. She did not disappoint. Quirky and random abstract and philosophical – my kind of mind. And I left with a copy of her new book, Fool’s Gold.
Day three was really a challenge for me – Creating Collaged Faces with Katie Kendrick. At one point, I had to leave and go for a little walk to quell the frustration. I was not at all in the flow in this class. After lunch I came back with the realization that as a beginner, imitation was a good place to start. So using my favourite of Katie’s finished projects, I set about attempting to recreate it in my own way. I was able to relax into the process a little more by doing this.
Not sure at this point whether I would go back again next year. I just don’t really have the art gene. But if I do, I will be trying to get into all of Anahata’s classes.
Also, check out the blog of my new friend, Janine. She is a jewelry artist and spent all three days in an intensive workshop and came out with a pendant – the picture on her website does not do it justice – it’s incredible, intricate, with industrial undertones. Fascinating.
1 Comment
April 14, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I need deprogramming, help me, help me!
You have the gene. It is just a little under that cultural anthropologist gene and behind the excellent critical thinking gene. Sometimes they can compete for time. (And frankly, sometimes a suspension of disbelief so great was required that I just wanted to laugh my butt off and run screaming into the woods). I missed seeing you guys more – where did the time go?